Doctor explains Melton’s ACL injury, possible Warriors timeline

Doctor explains Melton’s ACL injury, possible Warriors timeline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

De’Anthony Melton will miss Friday night’s game Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies with a left MCL sprainand his status after that remains unknown.

The 26-year-old Warriors guard will undergo additional tests, the team announced Thursday, to help determine the severity of the injury he suffered in the second quarter of Golden State’s win over the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday evening.

While Dub Nation anxiously awaits the crucial details, Stanford Medicine’s Dr. Geoffrey Abrams, MD, with NBC Sports Bay Area and broke down some of the possible outcomes of the injury and a potential timeline for recovery.

“ACL sprains can come in many different forms,” ​​said Dr. Abrams. “Obviously without having seen the MRI scan or been part of his care, it could be anything from a mild sprain with just a little bit of inflammation around the ligament, which is one of the main ligaments around the knee. In much smaller sprains of the ligament, it one of the most important ligaments around the knee.where there are no major structural problems, it can really only be a few weeks or so.

“For higher grade tears where there is concern that there was structural integrity, it really goes down a different path and can be many weeks to the possibility of even surgery if there are significant structural issues with that ligament.”

Melton, in his first season with the Warriors, is averaging 10.3 points on 40.7 percent shooting from the field and 37.1 percent from 3-point range with 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in six games.

He was inserted into coach Steve Kerr’s starting lineup over the last two games at the shooting guard spot, filling in nicely alongside Steph Curry, averaging 16.5 points on 47.8 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from downtown, with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in 26.6 minutes.

Dr. Abrams further explained the options for the rehabilitation timeline dependent on the severity of Melton’s injury.

“The ACL, which is the ligament we’re talking about, is really important for cutting and turning activity, so if you’re performing like you are in basketball all the time, that ligament is one of the main supports of the knee when you’re doing that, he said. “So if the ligament is injured, it can lead to instability in the knee, such as feeling your knee move a little bit under you if that ligament is compromised.

“Now in minor sprains of the ACL, there shouldn’t be any significant structural compromise of the knee, so I’d be surprised if it’s just a minor sprain that he would feel it. But there’s a whole rehab timeline to go through in terms of to get the muscles around the knee strong and get that ligament healed.”

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